Never Is A Promise
by serenitysea
Summary: Sage Bristow hadn't expected on fighting for her business. Sure, things were cutthroat in Metropolis, but this was Smallville, Kansas. The biggest threat here was Lex Luthor. ...Who just happened to be directly in the center of all her problems. Dating Br
1. Chapter 1

Never Is A Promise

**Chapter 1**

PG-13 

**Serenity****Sea******

**(Serenity_Sea@yahoo.com)**

**Author's notes: Because I have written 50+ pages of scenes and backstory for Sage, who was introduced in "Sparks" and I really like her character, but not the way the chapter went, I've decided to re-vamp it and change a few things around. The title is different, but it is essentially the same story. Sage, of course, is an original character, and belongs to me. **

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of them, except for Sage – she's all mine and so Lionel Luthor won't be coming after me with any lawsuits for that one.**

**DISTRIBUTION: You want it, it's yours. Just let me know where it's going. **

**SPOILERS: Set two months after "Heat," but diverging off from there. The whole "Lana's stalker and that crazy lady claiming to be Clark's mother" storyline never happened. Pete knows about Clark's powers. "Red" never happened. **

**Summary: What's a girl to do when she's 21, got her own corporation, and already dated Gotham's most eligible bachelor? Why, get stuck in Smallville, of course! With Lex Luthor as your landlord, anything's possible. Even love.  **

**THANKYOU'S/DEDICATIONS: To Michael Rosenbaum for breathing life into Lex Luthor – and the only reason I watch Smallville. Sorry. It's sort of an obsession I have with the man. I promise to speak no further of it, though, so read on without fear.**

**Update List: **

***

The morning was crisp, and Lana accounted that for the Talon's full patronage this particular Saturday morning. Clark, Pete, and Chloe were all sitting a table closest to the counter, so on the chance she got some downtime, she could sit and talk; but seeing as the morning was going so far, that was unlikely. 

It seemed as if all of Smallville was crammed in here, or already had been earlier, and left. In fact, the only people she _hadn't_ seen this morning were the Kents – Martha was delivering her produce and Jonathan was working on the farm – and Lex Luthor, but he would be in later.

There was a brief lull and she gratefully sank into a chair.

          "Full day, huh?" Clark asked, giving her a sympathetic look. 

She smiled tiredly. "You have no idea. And it's not even Noon. I'm just glad I don't have to close today, I'd never make it."

Chloe turned from her conversation with Pete to look at her with excitement in her bright blue eyes. "I just had a idea. The Torch could do a weekly schedule for the Talon and publish it; that way people could know when things are going on instead of showing up at random times for the wrong things."

Lana looked over at the people waiting to sign up for the karaoke show—_next week's_ karaoke show. "Chloe, that's great! It would really help. I'll go in the back and see if I can dig you up a rough copy of what we have for next week so far, and then on Sunday I can call you and confirm it."

          "Great." The blonde smiled.

Lana got up from the table and started to go to the back when a voice called, "Miss?"

She turned and saw that it was a woman calling her – and a woman she'd never met. Which was strange, because Smallville was just that; _small_. 

          "Yes?"

The woman, about 20 or so, was dressed impeccably in a black suit and had blonde wavy hair that flowed past her shoulders. Her eyes, as far as Lana could tell, were a light green and she appeared to be completely comfortable in her surroundings, even though Lana was certain she didn't know a soul.

          "Do you think I could get just one more cup of coffee to go? I know you were with your friends and I overheard you mentioning running into the back, but if you tell me where it is, I'd be happy to get it myself."

Lana waved a hand, "Don't be silly. I'll get it for you right now, it'll only take a second." She walked behind the counter and efficiently poured her the caffeine. 

The pretty blonde smiled at her and handed her a 10-dollar bill. "This is for my coffee before and I had a few of those pastries." 

          "Thanks…" She put the empty mug in the sink and when she turned back again, the woman was gone. Or, more precisely, at her table, gathering up her things in her briefcase and attaching an earpiece. Then she clipped a small cell phone to the waistband of her pants, picked up her coffee, and headed out the door.

Lex, who was on his way in, barely had enough time to dodge out of the woman's way before she splattered them both with her hot beverage. "Excuse me."

She looked up and her pale eyes locked onto his. "I'm so sorry." She flinched and pressed her right hand to her ear, "I'm sorry, Marissa, what was that? I didn't hear you."

For a minute, Lex was worried that she had voices in her head, and then he saw the small antenna peeking out of her clothes and had to smile inwardly. He toyed briefly with the idea of asking her name, but she swept out of the door, and a comforting 'beep beep' sound echoed in the street. 

His eyes followed her as she walked over to a sleek black Porsche 911 and tossed her silver briefcase on the passenger seat. She slid into the car and it purred as the engines started. With a brief glance behind her, she peeled away from the curb and drove one-handed while drinking the rest of her coffee.

He stared after her until she turned down Church Street and he couldn't see her anymore. It wasn't as if he had x-ray vision, after all. Lex shook his head and then walked into the chaos that he part-owned.

***

          "I'm telling you, 'Riss, it was incredible. I just got this… _power vibe from him. And you _know_ how long it's been since I've gotten a vibe like that from __anyone." Pause. "No, I don't know who he is." Another pause, and a groan. "No, I haven't found Lex Luthor yet. But I got directions from a really nice woman in the market this morning, where I got some fruit, so I doubt it will be hard to find him. Evidently, he works just as hard as he plays; he won't be home before 5 in the afternoon, anyway."_

The blonde woman rolled her eyes and leaned back into her car's plush black leather seat, masterfully driving the sports car with her right hand. "I don't _know who he is, Marissa.  Don't you think if I knew who he was, I'd've done something about it by now?" She grinned at something her friend said. "I promise not to do anything that I normally wouldn't do… which isn't much."_

Her expression changed and she frowned at something on the other line. "I don't know. He's ignored my contracts, he won't return any of my calls, I can't call _Him in on this one – I'd feel like an idiot… What else was I supposed to do?" Her look shifted to outrage. "What?! I am not __impulsive! I am very non-impulsive."_

She took the phone and placed it in a handheld cradle. All at once, the voice of the mysterious Marissa boomed into the car. 

          "All I'm saying, Sage, is that you be careful on how you appeal to him. Luthors are known for wanting to play hardball, and while I have no doubt that you are more than capable of giving him a run for his money – quite literally – I don't want to see you get hurt in return." Marissa sighed, and the action came heavily and clearly through the wireless connection. "Does Bruce know you're bidding for Luthor land?"

Sage sat up straighter in her seat. "No. Well, I'm sure he's keeping tabs on me, but if you're asking did I tell him I was doing this, then no. The board decided a literally weeks ago, and I put the plans into motion without thinking of the consequences. Hopefully it won't be a problem. It's not like they're friends or anything."

The land around her grew into a forested area and she put the hood up as a slight chill swept through her car. Trees were curving over her, forming nature's most basic and yet beautiful canopies as she made a turn to a large-gated driveway. For a moment, she was glad her hood was up, because evidently, they assumed that she was Lex, in a new car, one that hadn't yet had the plates changed. 

Within moments, she was zooming down a long driveway until a mansion – was that even the correct word? – no, a _castle rose up from the kelly green lawn and stood regally before her, daring her to try and breach its walls._

          "Whoa."

Marissa, who had been chattering along about the pros and cons of aligning oneself with a Luthor, abruptly stopped. "Sage? You okay?"

Sage spoke distractedly, " 'Riss, gotta go… I'll call you back later." She turned the phone off and slowly drove her car around the small drive. It led to a rather large garage, with what must have been at least 50 exotic and rare sports cars. It was all she could do not to drool as she carefully parked in a free spot. 

          "I'll give him this much: He's got an incredible flair for cars," she trailed her hand over a green Jaguar. "My god. I would date him just to get in these things."

From somewhere a lone bell chimed loudly and drew her back to the present. She shook her head to clear it of fantasy thoughts involving dangerous speeds and red cars, and grabbed her briefcase, striding for a door she hoped led to the main part of the house.

And she was off. 

Off, to go make a deal with the devil.

* * *

Lex wandered over to where he knew Clark was sitting and unknowingly took Lana's seat with a bit of a distracted air.

          "Lex, you okay?"

The bald man looked at his perpetually wide-eyed friend. "Yeah. I'm fine. Is Lana in today? She mentioned discussing a few things yesterday."

          "I'm here," she called from the counter. "Be over in just a sec."

Chloe leaned forward on her knees and looked at Lex. "I still want another interview."

The older man raised an eyebrow. "I would think that with what had happened last time, one would be enough."

She wasn't stupid. She knew he was warning her off, but she wasn't going to be deterred. "I don't care. I need a new feature for the Torch and we _really_ need to stop printing the lunch menu. Principal Reynolds suggested that you could be the next headline, y'know, we could track your progress for LexCorp or something like that."

While Lex was wondering just what Reynolds had said, he asked, "Why would people be interested in LexCorp? I help run a crap factory. End of story."

Clark and Pete leaned back in their chairs as Chloe launched into her full-scale attack.

* * *

20 minutes later, Chloe could be seen walking triumphantly out the door with Pete, who was going to football practice. Lex was inside, looking slightly bewildered and very out of place as the only one without coffee. 

A fresh latte suddenly appeared before him and he looked up to see Lana. "Thanks."

She sat back down and propped her feet up on the table. "I know I'm not supposed to do this, but my feet are _killing me."_

They let her get her bearings and Clark noticed again that Lex seemed a bit preoccupied with other things. Then again, Lex was always doing a million things at once, so that wasn't entirely out of the ordinary.

Lex sipped his latte, and unknowingly let his younger best friend in on his thoughts. "Did you happen to see that blonde woman before? She was a bit taller than you, had green eyes…"

She looked at Clark, thinking and started to shake her head. "Wait a minute! Was she wearing a black suit?"

          "Armani, I'd bet. And, judging by the cut, an original." He interjected, while the conversation continued.

Lana nodded. "Yeah, but I didn't catch her name. I've never seen her before. Have you?"

Lex shook his head. "Clark?"

Clark shrugged. "Never seen her before in my life."

          "It's so strange. We know everyone in Smallville."

          "I don't think she was from around here. She had a Metropolis attitude."

Lana and Clark exchanged looks and burst into quiet laughter. Lex stared at them. "What?"

She was still laughing, so Clark helped her out. "Well, it's just that… Lex, when you first came here, you had the Metropolis attitude, too. And let's face it, you're still not exactly the poster-boy for Smallville."

Reluctantly, he nodded. "I know, but… there's just something about her." He shrugged it off. "I'm making a big deal out of nothing. She was probably just passing through. Lana, what did you need?"

By now, she had recovered enough to speak. "Oh," she leaned over her chair and drew out some papers. "I had some ideas for more interest in the Talon. I wanted to try a karaoke night and maybe open-mike for a few weeks."

Lex carefully scanned over the papers and then threw a glance over his shoulder. "Looks to me like you've already put your plans in motion."

Lana blushed. "I just wanted to see if—"

He waved her off. "Don't worry about it. You're developing a business sense, Lana, and that's commendable." He stood up and handed his empty mug to a passing waitress. "Tell me how it turns out."

Once he had walked out the door, she turned uncertainly to Clark, who offered her a smile. "That went okay, I guess."

He nodded. "Believe me, that went well. Lex doesn't like it when people do things behind his back, and he would have done a lot worse if he didn't approve."

She closed her eyes and exhaled thankfully, rising, because her break was now over. "I was so worried he was going to say no."

Clark got up to give her a hand clearing the tables. "That's the thing with Lex… he's usually pretty reasonable."

* * *

(Later that afternoon…)

Lex pulled into the drive and ahead to park his car in the garage that housed his many other vehicles. He gave one last regretful look at the silver sports car and headed inside. 

          "Dad? I'm home." He called to the empty house. The staff was nowhere to be seen, and that was how he liked it. Seeing the maid, butler and doorman all the time was flashy and not his style. (The cook, he didn't mind.) It was bad enough that his father required people flitting around him all the time, but that was something he'd learned to deal with – not before freaking out when one of them turned up behind him, asking to take his coat.

That was when he told them that their services were better utilized with his father's needs, and that he could take care of himself. Of course, it was worded nicer and so that they wouldn't be quite so offended, but that was about the gist of it.

In fact, the _only time he saw the butler or the doorman was when he had business acquaintances over. Then they stood outside the door until he showed up and warned him as to what he was about to walk into. Unless he was already in his office, and then they would announce them and show in the person._

Today, though, when he rounded the corner, about to walk into his office, Quincy – the butler, was it? – was waiting for him. 

          "Who is it?" 

Quincy raised his eyebrows significantly. "The honorable Sage Bristow, from Bristow Technologies."

Lex muttered a few oaths, and Quincy's eyebrows rose even higher. "Who let her in there?"

          "No one, sir. She just walked in and when we tried telling her that you weren't in for the day, she said she was perfectly willing to wait. She hasn't emerged for a few hours, and wouldn't let anyone else in."

          "Great. She's probably got her nose in all my files." He pushed open the doors and slung his jacket off to place on the coat rack. "I hope you've made yourself comfortable. My butler tells me you've been in here for a while."

A feminine voice came out of nowhere. "I had to pull my email _sometime_, didn't I?" 

He glanced at his desk, which still looked virtually untouched. The chair was facing the window and appeared to be empty. 

"And yes, as far as comfort goes – while I don't usually go for the whole dark and gothic look you've got here, it certainly makes for an interesting floor plan. Did you know if you lay lengthwise on that couch by the fireplace, you can see a spot in the window that isn't frosted?" 

Actually, he didn't know, but was tempted to try it out later. And then there was the whole idea of her lying down on his furniture. Good god, he had to stop this. He hadn't even seen her yet – she could be some 45 year-old woman with wrinkles and droopy lips – and was becoming attracted by the sound of her voice. 

She continued, "I _have managed to find some very interesting things about you. I didn't know that you drove your car off a bridge last fall." A slightly chiding tone laced her teasing voice. "Or that you got _three_ speeding tickets this summer, Mr. Luthor."_

There was steel in his voice when he answered, "Not many people do; it's not something I broadcast." His eyes darted about, trying to find her.

She laughed, and he found to his dismay that he could easily picture her in his home, laughing over dinner. "But you should. It would let your neighbors know that you're just as normal as they are."

He peered behind a corner and still didn't see her. "Are you implying I'm _abnormal_, Ms. Bristow?"

          "Hardly. I'm merely stating that people would be more willing to approach you if you gave the appearance of being ordinary sometimes, instead keeping such a distance from them." 

His eyes narrowed at the chair that was facing the windows. "You may as well turn around now."

          "Took you long enough," she muttered and pushed one foot down on the thickly carpeted floor to turn around.

          "**_YOU_?" **

* * *


	2. Chapter 2

Never Is A Promise

**Chapter 2**

**PG-13**

**Serenity****Sea******

**(Serenity_Sea@yahoo.com)**

**Author's notes: Nothing much. Just review, let me know what you think of the story and the character. I'm easy. **

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of them, except for the new character – she's all mine and so Lionel Luthor won't be coming after me with any lawsuits for that one. Marissa, Sage's best friend, is also mine.**

**DISTRIBUTION: You want it, it's yours. Just let me know where it's going. **

**SPOILERS: Through Heat. As mentioned in chapter 1, Principal Reynolds exists. **

**Summary: Lex Luthor becomes her temporary landlord and what was originally projected on being a short weekend trip somehow winds up as a lot more, and she reluctantly becomes interwoven in the close-knit town she thought she'd written off.**

**Update List: **

***

          "I don't believe this." Lex stared at the blonde woman.

One thing was for sure. She sure as hell wasn't 45 and her lips were certainly not droopy. If not for his anger building at having been forced into a child's game only moments ago, he would have taken the time to appreciate her appearance more.

          "You're not the only one," she said. "How many bald men live in Smallville dressed like that…" she trailed off, not needing to finish her sentence. "I can't believe I didn't put two and two together at the coffee shop."

_Well, that makes two of us, Lex thought sourly. "I'd like my seat back, now. I think you've made your dramatic entrance."_

She stood up and rolled her green eyes. "How you choose to interpret that is up to you, Mr. Luthor." She walked around the glass desk lithely, and took the seat directly in front of him. "Since you've refused to answer any of my proposals sent by courier, it appears that I have to literally get into your life. Let's get this over with, shall we? The sooner I'm done, the sooner you're rid of me."

          "How could I refuse an offer like that?" He sat fluidly, leaning back in his chair. 

***

(Several hours later, well into the evening)

          "Let me get this straight. You want the Brighton field five miles away from the heart of town because you think it's an ideal place for a… shelter? Why? And why Smallville?"

She gave him an incredulous look. "Did you even _glance_ at the papers I've been sending you for the past three months?"

He folded his arms resolutely. "Pretend I'm stupid, Ms. Bristow. Enlighten me to the heart of your cause."

Sage glanced at him slowly, weighing how much of her story she could actually reveal. She began to speak slowly, her confidence faltering for the first time that day. "I once knew someone who liked to help people. But they were busy with other things and didn't have time to set up something without drawing a lot of attention and valuable time for their other obligations. I was new in town and needed work, but preferred technology. So they set up a company under my name, a tech branch, under one condition: At the end of the season, a third of the profits we'd totaled for the year would be used to construct a safe place for one area of the needy; orphans, widows, veterans, unemployed, homeless, etc, etc, etc."

She rose from her seat and became more animated, using her hands to gesture as her enthusiasm grew. "Each year, we choose prime sites for these buildings and then buy the land for them. We chose Smallville because of its idyllic setting and the convenient distance to Metropolis. If anything should fail, then we would be close to a place where they'd be more than able to handle it. The only problem is, Mr. Luthor… you currently own all the available land in Smallville."

          "I do, don't I?" He smirked. "That's going to make your job a lot harder, isn't it?"

          "But it's for a good cause. Why won't you consider selling?"

          "Because frankly Ms. Bristow, I have no intention of letting Smallville become a haven for all the druggies and drunks that roam the streets of Metropolis. That type of crowd is not welcome in my town."

He was watching, as her expression grew from pleased – with her more than perfect delivery of her cause – to annoyed and frustrated, as he appeared unmovable with his decision. When she was about to speak, he held up a hand. "This may come as a bit of a shock to you, Ms. Bristow, but I have not changed my mind in the past few hours or weeks since your first proposal. I refuse to spend money on the good-for-nothings that would rather spend their lives in a cardboard box than with a roof over their head – just because they have to work hard – that is something I have never supported, and never will, because I don't support anything that puts money into the population of Metropolis."

Sage glared at him. "Look, I don't know what _died_ and crawled up **your** ass, but _some of us happen to __live there – so if you would be so kind as to refrain from trashing our lovely city, I'd really appreciate it." Her eyes suddenly twinkled as she remembered something else. "As I recall, you yourself used to live there. Why the sudden aversion to what is widely recognized as one of the most successful cities in the country? And don't tell me it's because your father lives there."_

Lex let his eyes grow blank at her approach, something he did when he wanted to intimidate the other person. "Leave him out of this. You can't honestly expect me to willingly give you land for the scum of Metropolis to visit, when they've done absolutely nothing for towns like Smallville. People come out here and avoid us like we're the plague. Now, I know _I_ have reason for people to avoid me, but to help out a city – by getting the drunks off the streets – that would snap _my_ city's neck in half… It's like throwing money down the proverbial sinkhole."

Her eyes flashed. "But you'd throw money down that same sinkhole if it'll place you in a good standing with your little **farm** town. Don't think I don't see what you're doing here, Mr. Luthor. The people of Smallville are yours to orchestrate and control, like a puppeteer, and you can't do that in Metropolis. Because of people like me."

He smirked, letting the insult roll off his back. He'd heard worse. "At least you don't suffer from a self-esteem problem, Ms. Bristow."

          "I don't. I'm merely stating a fact."

Lex snorted, but was denied the pleasure of a response when someone knocked on the door. "Come in."

Clark Kent peered around the thick oak doors. "Is everything okay here? I came to get the shopping list for my mother and I heard shouting." His eyes swept the room and landed on the blonde in the chair, who had yet to turn around. He met Lex's eyes and the man nodded reluctantly. 

_That made Sage turn around to see who was there. When she saw it yielded only Clark, she smiled. "I saw you in the coffee-shop this morning. You were sitting with that pretty girl – she runs it, doesn't she?"_

Slightly bashful, Clark nodded. "Yeah. Lana's part owner, but so is…" Lex shot him a wide-eyed warning look while her back was turned, which he blithely ignored. "…_Lex. He's Lana's financial backer and lets her have a pretty free rein with the place. Isn't that right, Lex?"_

He shot him a dirty look that changed before Sage could see it. "As a matter of fact, it is."

          "Puppeteer," she sing-songed under her breath, meant only for Lex's ears. 

He closed his eyes and drew in a deep breath. "Not to be rude, Clark, but I have some business I'd like to finish up, so if there's nothing else…"

The good-natured high-schooler smiled. "Nope. That's it." He walked further into the room to shake the blonde's hand. "It was nice meeting you, Ms.…"

She bestowed a smile upon him and placed her smaller hand in his. "Bristow. It's Sage, actually, and I'd prefer if you called me that. Ms. Bristow makes me feel old."

They laughed and even though Clark was _dying to see how the evening progressed, he knew when he was being dismissed. There were parts of Lex's life he didn't understand and wouldn't benefit from if he tried, but he knew when some things just went over his head. Besides. He had a feeling she was going to be here for a while. "See you guys later. Bye Lex. And Sage, it was very nice meeting you."_

          "Likewise!" She called after him as he closed the door. "I can see why you chose him as your friend in Smallville," she said, turning back to Lex. "He's got that wholesome look about him and the Kents are very well respected here, aren't they?"

          "What do _you know about the Kents?"_

Her chin lifted challengingly, even as her eyes softened just a bit. "That you are _fiercely protective of them, even though all Martha Kent does for you is get your groceries."_

He walked around the desk, towards her. "The Kents are _not_ to be disturbed, Ms. Bristow. Get them out of your sights, because if you so much as lay a _finger in their business, I will devote everything I am in destroying your company." He put his hands on her shoulders firmly. "Are we clear on this matter?"_

She squared her shoulders, trying to make him lose his grip; when he didn't, she stared straight back into his piercing eyes. "I am clear that you are threatening me right now. And I'm clear about the fact that it's a criminal offense to put your hands on someone in a threatening matter. And I'm also clear that if you _don't get your hands off me, **_right now_, you're going to have a really nasty lawsuit on your desk in the morning." **_

Grudgingly, he pulled his hands away. But he remained where he was, towering over her just slightly. 

          "However, I am also aware of the fact that everyone who's come here hasn't done so well when they've interfered with the Kents. And usually, you're behind that." Sage shook her head at him disbelievingly. "But I would never hurt them. So you don't have to worry about that."

Lex had to give her credit. She didn't back down in the face of a challenge, but she knew when to concede gracefully. And that was a worthy trait he admired, as so few had it these days.

Hiding a smile, she turned and gathered her papers into the same silver briefcase he'd seen earlier today. She clasped it, and stood up with a toss of her hair. "So do I get to pick a family in Smallville to put under _my protection? Or is that a privilege for Luthors only?"_

He smiled. "Touché, Ms. Bristow."

Halfway out the door, she paused. "I meant what I said to Clark. Ms. Bristow makes me feel old." She closed the door quietly and he knew she'd let herself out.

          "Indeed." He murmured, shaking his head. "Indeed."

Lex turned back to tidy a few things on his desk and then he flicked the lights off, leaving moonlight the sole illumination in the dark room. For a moment, he caught a blurry glimpse of Sage as she got in her car through the stained glass window. Knowing she would be back in the morning, because things like this took days, and that he had tonight only to prepare for it, he closed the office doors and headed upstairs.

* * *

Sage cursed fluently. "I don't believe this." Her head fell forward onto the steering wheel. "Of all the nights." Rain streamed freely down the Porsche's windows and roof.

With a resigned groan, she peeled off her jacket and put it over her head. She opened the door and barely had enough time to clear it when the wind slammed it shut. "I'll just go in there and ask to use a phonebook. No reason why he can't spare me that. He may be a jerk, but he's a _fair_ jerk."

Her resolve strengthened, she gripped her jacket tighter in the fierce thunderstorm, hoping that it wouldn't fly away in this wind. The path back to the massive front doors wasn't an easy one. The driveway was gravel and several times she nearly lost her footing. Wet rooftops in Gotham had nothing on this. She was almost to the steps when her numbed fingers couldn't do their job any more and her jacket flew away, never to be seen again.

          "Dammit."

Sage stood there for a moment, wondering if it was worth it to try and look for the designer's piece, thereby getting herself soaked, and realized, with some effort, that she'd have to let it go. As she expected, the front doors opened before she mounted the last step and there was a warm towel waiting as she stepped inside.

          "Thank you," she said to the doorman, feeling a twinge of regret for having been so brash towards him earlier. "Might I use a phone book?"

His eyebrows rose. "Perhaps I can make the call for you, Ms. Bristow."

Her shoulders slumped. "That would be… wonderful. My Porsche's busted. I don't know what happened, but the transmission is shot."

He smiled knowingly. "I understand. Master Luthor has done enough damage to his own Porsche that we have an in-house mechanic for those express purposes." Sage found herself beginning to smile. It wasn't that bad. With any luck, she could be back to her hotel in… an hour or so. But with this rain, even with her at the wheel, it was going to be tough.

          "—Unfortunately, he's got the day off. He'll be back on Monday."

It was Saturday night. She threw her head back and groaned. "I should have known."

          "Should have known what?"

Her head snapped up and she saw Lex leaning casually against the railing.

          "Nothing. I just—nothing."

He nodded slowly. "So were you planning to sleep inside your broken car with wet clothes or do you have some luggage with you?"

          "I brought my carryon from the plane which has a change of clothes, but—" In her jumbled state of mind, she failed to see Lex nod at the doorman and hear the front doors open again. 

Trying to suppress the defeat she was feeling right now would have taken a miracle. She sat down on the marble steps and leaned her head against a spindle. "And my jacket's gone. I mean, I normally don't make that big of a deal out of my clothes, but that was one-of-a-kind. Armani came over to my penthouse and fitted me personally. And now it's gone."

The doors opened again, and she shivered against the wind. When she looked up, she saw Quincy standing there with her distinctive green leather bag. "What on earth?"

Lex walked down the rest of the steps until he was standing in front of her. "You will, of course, spend the night here. We'll get your car looked at in the morning, and we can continue our business over breakfast – I find that it goes much better when there is food present."

Sage looked at him as if he'd grown three heads. "You're kidding." 

"I may be unreasonable, but I don't send women out into Kansas storms. They change like quicksilver and yours is not a death I want on my hands."

She gave him a look as if to say, _Oh really? Whose _would_ you like on your hands_? "This is insane. I can't stay here."

He gave her a reprimanding look. "Oh come now, Ms. Bristow. I'm sure we can find a room to suit your tastes in this Mansion."

          "It's Sage," she reminded him distractedly, "And that's not the issue."

          "Then what _is the issue? Because I'm dying to know."_

With an effort, she cleared her head and focused on him. "Were you not just in that office for the past several hours? We're arguing over land, Mr. Luthor. I can't truly believe you let all potential business partners sleep over."

          "That's true," he considered, watching as she seemed to slump in relief, "But then again, most of my business partners don't break sports cars I have an affinity for." Lex gave Quincy the 'go-ahead' to put Sage up in a room and watched out the corner of his eye to see if she noticed. She hadn't. She was staring at him like he'd grown another eye. "What are you _really_ afraid of? Is it me? I wasn't aware my reputation preceded me to quite this extent. But if it makes you feel better, I promise I'll be a perfect gentlemen."

Now he was teasing her and she knew it. But the attempt at lightening the moment seemed to go right past her as she still hung on to a shred of denial, no doubt trying to come up with reasons as to why this was an implausible solution. "You know this will be front page on the _Daily Planet_ tomorrow."

          "Maybe the _Inquisitor.__ The_ Planet _doesn't do features about my private life on the weekends." When she remained silent, he frowned at her, leaning against the banister. "Oh, now I'm just disappointed in you. You came here, played hardball to get your foot in the door, and now you're backing down. I really thought you were more resilient than this. Come on." He took her by the arm and guided her up the stairs, clearly for this as much as she was against it. _

She was dying to respond because he'd openly baited her, but was worried it might get her kicked out. They traveled down a long hallway, stopping in front of a distinct set of doors with unusual carvings along the sides. 

Lex opened them and turned on the lights, illuminating a room decorated in pale shades of green and yellow, sometimes mixing the two together. A king-sized, canopied bed rested on a platform in the center of the room and other ivory pieces of furniture resided in the room. It was, by far, one of the most beautiful rooms she'd ever seen in her life.

She had unknowingly smiled when viewing the room and for some reason, that made him inordinately pleased. "I'll have food sent up, but for now, I think you should change out of your wet clothes before you get sick. I'd hate for you to catch a cold… it would make _negotiating_ awfully difficult if you were blowing your nose every five minutes."

She looked over her shoulder and granted him a tiny smile. "Thank you. For this," her hand swept the room, "and for being a big enough person to get past our business difficulties."

He met her gaze straight on. "I'll have to remember that tomorrow when your lawsuit arrives."

For the first time since she'd left the sanctuary of her beloved car, a full-fledged smile broke out on her face. "I might have to put a call into my attorney about that one." Her smile fell suddenly. "Oh my god. I was supposed to call Marissa when I got in my hotel room tonight; she probably thinks I'm dead or something."

Sage reached down to her waistband and opened her phone. She shook it experimentally, and then raced all her fingers over the buttons at once, finally resorting to tossing it past Lex's head and land on the bed.

          "It's broken," she said by way of explanation.

"Here." He reached in his pocket and threw his.

She dialed the number easily, and bit her lip as she held it pressed to her ear. "Mariss? You there? It's Sage, pick up if you're—" Suddenly she winced and pulled the phone away from her ear. Lex could hear the person shouting on the other end. 

He had to give her credit though, because she made another attempt to speak despite the fact that she was met with the same response. He chuckled and left her in the battle of wills.

* * *

When he had seen her standing in the foyer, dripping rainwater miserably on the black marble floor, something had just _clicked_ inside him. Seeing her with the white button down shirt plastered to her body, while her previously wavy hair began to spring up with a slight curl and her green eyes full of defeat, cinched the deal.

Not knowing why or even how, he had made the decision that he was still in shock about. He put the plans into motion for Sage to spend the night here, and for her car to be worked on by his private mechanic, who was being flown back to Smallville this very moment. 

He was in his bed, still wondering the level of sanity he had when someone knocked lightly on the door. "Come in."

Sage stepped inside, dwarfed in a large hunter green robe and waved his cell phone in her left hand. "I just wanted to return this. Sorry it took so long – Marissa was pretty upset."

Lex climbed out of bed, and walked over to her. When he took the phone, he felt a small shock touch him. "She's okay now?"

Sage was having trouble focusing on his face and not the fact that he was naked from the waist up. "Um, yeah. She's fine. I managed to keep her from calling the police and sending them here." 

          "Is that normal behavior for Marissa?"

For a minute she was distracted by the easy way he spoke her best friend's name, like he'd known her all his life. "Sadly enough, yes. She worries about me way more than she should."

Thinking of her earlier predicament, he murmured, "Some_one_ has to."

She blushed faintly. "Anyway. I guess I'll see you in the morning, then."

          "Morning it is." Offhandedly, he asked, "Are you a morning person?"

She cringed. "Hope springs eternal, right? I try to avoid them at all costs, unless there's a Starbucks nearby."

He made a mental note to head into the Talon early tomorrow morning. "Do you want to make it later, then? I can always use the extra hours for some LexCorp matters."

Absently, she wondered why he was being so accommodating. This was not the Lex Luthor she'd met with earlier in the afternoon, nor was it the one she'd heard about from business acquaintances. "No, that's okay. I can be presentable around 7:30, if that's good for you."

          "That's fine."

There was an awkward silence and she moved back towards the door. "Night."

          "Goodnight." He turned to go back to bed when the door closed and he felt a hand on his back. 

          "I just wanted to say thanks. For everything. You don't have to do this, and frankly, I'm a little confused as to why you are, but thanks."

Lex turned so swiftly that her hand was now on the front of his chest. With a start, she pulled it away. "Sorry."

          "It's okay. Get some rest, Ms.—" She shot him a glare. "—Sage."

          "I will."

* * *

Well? Is it okay? Do you hate her? Is she a totally hateable character? Suggestions, please!! Oh, and I dropped a few hints in there… yes, it is a slight Batman crossover. Just wait and see! 


	3. Chapter 3

Never Is A Promise  
  
Chapter 3  
  
PG-13  
  
Serenity Sea  
  
(Serenity_Sea@yahoo.com)  
  
Author's notes: This chapter will give you a little more insight on Sage and on Lionel's fears. *Grin*  
  
DISCLAIMER: See Prologue.  
  
DISTRIBUTION: You want it, it's yours. Just let me know where it's going.  
  
SPOILERS: S2, through Heat.  
  
Update List:   
  
* * *  
  
The morning was not something Sage was looking forward to. At all. Of course, her room seemed to be lacking an alarm clock, and she'd therefore gotten no sleep because she was afraid of being late and kept waking up at all hours of the night.  
  
"Nothing like a good sleep to get you ready for meeting with a Luthor," she muttered, legs feeling like lead as she dragged them to the bathroom and stumbled blindly into the shower.  
  
It was there that she found a clock, resting innocently on the sink. She regarded it steadily, waiting for a sign from the small porcelain being. When it failed to do anything more than tick away the seconds, she gave it a particularly nasty glare and finished up her makeup.  
  
Feeling marginally more human, but knowing that the full leap from monster to a proper citizen of Earth would require some caffeine-and fast-she settled to battle with her carryon. Last night, the zipper had caught on something and wasn't opening for anything. She'd been too tired to ask for help and simply fallen asleep in her shirt; something she never, *ever* did. But strange places can make people do even stranger things, she mused, and knew that if she stood here any longer, Lex was going to think she'd gotten lost or broken her neck in the bathtub.  
  
She had two choices. The first was a pair of boot cut jeans with a leather jacket that hadn't-somehow-gotten ruined in the monsoon last night, which could be matched with a green tank that brought out her eyes. The second, and more likely choice, because it was simply more professional, was a navy blue suit and caramel shell.  
  
Except she hated suits.  
  
She wore them to her business meetings because she had to, but her good ones, the *nice* ones, with the exception of the jacket that was probably in a cornfield somewhere right now, were all at home or in her suitcase at the hotel. This suit was awful; she hadn't worn it in years, and started to wonder if it was even hers, and not something she'd forgotten to unpack for Marissa by mistake.  
  
Sage decided to improvise.  
  
* * *  
  
Lionel Luthor was scared.  
  
Well, perhaps not scared, per say, but worried. Really, *really* worried. So worried, in fact, he was ready to call a doctor.  
  
First he'd wondered if he wasn't, by any chance, still asleep in his large goose-down bed (hypoallergenic, of course) with charisma sheets and thick duvet cover. It was very possible, he reasoned, since his dreams had been getting considerably more vivid the longer he stayed at the residence in Smallville. Of course, that could simply be the rest of his body trying to make up for the fact that he couldn't see anymore, so what did he know, anyway?  
  
When he was finished analyzing that bit, he was cranky, hungry, and purple, from where he'd kept pinching himself.  
  
Dreaming was ruled out of the realm of possibilities.  
  
There was always the chance that he'd been kidnapped-person-knapped, as he preferred-and that he was either dead or they were drugging him.  
  
This led to more pinching of the arm.  
  
It seemed he was going to have to come to terms with the issue and settle it the quickest way he knew how. Even if it made him look weak. Because he simply couldn't abide it anymore.  
  
"All right, Lex. What's gotten you in such a mood that you're," dare he say it? The word lodged itself in his throat and wouldn't come out. Damn and blast! He hastily reached for his water glass, hoping he wouldn't make a fool out of himself and spill it on his new suit; not that he knew what it looked like, but appearances were still worth keeping up. "- *Whistling*?"  
  
And so the flag had been thrown down. Game, set, and match. 1 to 0, in his son's favor.  
  
If only he could stop fidgeting long enough to hear the answer.  
  
* * *  
  
Lex quelled the urge to stick his tongue out at his father. It was childish, and what's more, a waste of energy as the man wouldn't even be able to see it. Lex bet he would have known anyway, though. There were just some things that didn't escape Lionel Luthor. A long time ago, that would have scared him. Now it just made him work harder to stay two steps ahead of the old man.  
  
"Was I whistling?" Lex asked innocently, looking over to see if he would reveal anything by way of facial expression. He didn't. Damn.  
  
"I would have hardly made something like that up, Lex."  
  
Oooh. Now he was scared that Lex had accused him of hearing things. Well, that was a tactic to save for another day.  
  
"It just so happens, Dad, that I have a." he struggled to classify the young woman who was currently upstairs in a guest room they hadn't opened in years. "Business meeting this morning, and I'm beginning to look forward to it."  
  
Ah. Lionel could understand this. He could relate to this, even. There were only two reasons one looked forward to business meetings this early in the day. It was either a takeover, or a woman. "Are you capturing another company, son?"  
  
Lex sent him a mild smirk, even though he couldn't see it. "No, Dad. That's really more of your thing."  
  
*Oh.* So it was a woman.  
  
"Good morning, sorry I'm late."  
  
And a relatively pretty-sounding one at that.  
  
Lex took in the jeans, blazer and taupe shell with a brief gaze and offered up a half-smile. It was the best he could do, under the circumstances.  
  
"I hope you slept well enough," he inquired politely, noting the dark circles under her eyes and made a note to have the mattress exchanged before she went back in this evening. Perhaps years of neglect had rendered it lumpy.  
  
"I'm here, right?" There was a silver carafe of what she assumed was coffee and her feet dragged her towards it like a magnet. She poured herself a mug, unaware that there were people to do it for her, and suddenly noticed the other person sitting quietly at the table. "Oh. You didn't tell me I was going to be intruding on your breakfast," she looked at the younger man in askance.  
  
He sighed heavily and took her arm, gently bringing her over to his father. "Dad, this is Sage Bristow. She's going to be staying with us for a while until she gets some land issues straightened out and her car gets fixed. Ms. Bristow," he continued smoothly, ignoring her dark look, "this is my father, Lionel Luthor. He's the head of-"  
  
"-LuthorCorp and famous for his piracy of smaller companies less fortunate." Sage cut him off, knowing that her description was probably a bit harsher than Lex's would have been. But that "Ms. Bristow" comment had stung and she was beginning to wake up.  
  
"Well, it would seem that your Ms. Bristow has done her homework," Lionel returned easily, cursing his lack of eyesight because her manner reminded him of another young woman he'd known very long ago.  
  
Lex could feel Sage stiffen beside him at his father's comment. It wasn't the homework part that had bothered her, but he was starting to see how much she hated it when people called her by her last name. Of course, that part about being *his* hadn't helped matters along.  
  
"So," Lionel prompted, gesturing in the general direction of the table. "Have a seat. Tell me about yourself, Ms. Bristow. As you may have guessed, I'm blind and at the mercy of my son's depiction when it comes to visitors."  
  
Sage shot Lex an inquiring glance, but even he was lost on this one.  
  
"Okay," she began, after insisting that he use her first name, "I'm 22 years old, I was born on the outskirts of Gotham City and-" she was clearly struggling to on how to handle such an odd request.  
  
"-Stop. If I'd wanted the basics, I could have had it looked up."  
  
Lex blinked at his father's abrupt manner. When Lionel wanted answers, he waited until the person was done speaking (to make them more nervous) or got someone else to do it for him (also to make them more nervous).  
  
By now, Sage was completely thrown for a loop. She proceeded to tell him her life story, at length when he continued to question, looking more and more like a confused tourist as time passed so that Lex had to walk to the other end of the room to keep from smiling. She'd been harsh with him last night and now she was in wayyy over her head. He was going to enjoy watching his father take her down a peg or two.  
  
'Not telling her there was another guest, that she would be intruding on breakfast,' indeed. Hah. Served her right for trying to make him feel bad that he'd inadvertently thrown her into the lion's den. He came back to the conversation just in time to hear his father's reply.  
  
"Your *mother* was Aurelia Shelton? The model?"  
  
"I *guess*," Sage's brows drew together as she frowned. "She died when I was six, I don't remember much about her or what she did before I was old enough to remember."  
  
Lionel sat back in his chair contentedly. "Well, now that makes all the difference. I *knew* your mother quite well, my dear. She was a frequent guest in our house and one of Lillian's-my late wife-closest friends. I wonder, though, do you look like her? It's been a while and I'm a bit fuzzy on her image."  
  
Lex watched curiously as all the feeling went out of Sage's voice and she answered, "I'm told I look like her. I don't see how, as my hair is blonde; hers was deep brown. My eyes are green,"-Oh, how he begged to differ on this one-"hers were silver. Apparently, we have the same facial structure. but as I said before, I really wouldn't know. I was very young and quite self-absorbed when she got into a car accident."  
  
"Ah, yes. I remember that. Such a pity. Lillian was devastated."  
  
Sage looked as though she would like to throttle him. "I don't remember seeing you at the funeral," she bit out, trying to keep the emotion out of her voice and knowing that she was failing miserably.  
  
Lionel stroked his chin. "You did say that you were very young and-how did you put it? Oh yes-'quite self-absorbed,' " he pointed out. "But if you didn't see us, it was not because we didn't attend. I believe you sat on your father's lap and played with my pocket watch during the entire memorial service."  
  
The same watch, Lex realized with a start, that now belonged to him and currently resided in his jacket pocket.  
  
Her features calmed somewhat and a faint smile touched her face. "You're right. I do remember. I'm sorry I attacked you about it before-it's always been a sore subject for me."  
  
"I can only imagine," Lionel replied, "at age six, you were beginning to look like her. Now you must be a spitting image." He downed the rest of his coffee. "It doesn't matter. If you have any questions or would like to know more about your mother and the woman she was before you came into her life. seek me out. I'd be more than happy to oblige."  
  
As if summoned by magic, a servant came out of the corner and hovered, more than helped, him gather his cane and exit the room without mishap.  
  
Sage unthinkingly sighed and sat heavily in the seat he'd just vacated.  
  
"I have to admit, for someone not used to dealing with him on a daily basis, you handled that masterfully."  
  
She turned tired eyes up to his. "You call that masterful? I know shouldn't be telling you this, but my mother is my Achilles heel. Bring her into any conversation and I'm a guaranteed basket case. God, he really threw me there. And even at the end, it felt like it was *my* fault she'd died. Almost like he blamed me for even being born."  
  
Well, she was extremely perceptive, if nothing else. "That's just his way of stating his ground. If you're uncomfortable with it, ignore the offer. And him, for that matter. He's not the easiest man to live with and he sure as hell isn't father of the year," Lex paused, looking a bit perplexed that he had revealed so much to a mere business acquaintance. "But he won't make an offer like that unless he has the means to back it up."  
  
"That's what I'm afraid of," she said quietly, reaching for a blueberry scone.  
  
"Of the truth or that he has information you want?"  
  
"Yes," she answered to both, and suddenly wished that she'd never taken on the job in the first place. Suddenly it seemed like she would be a lot safer in her apartment in Metropolis.  
  
She was started to regret this whole experience and had the feeling that it was going to take more than a few days to get everything straightened out.  
  
And by everything, she didn't just mean the land problems.  
  
* * *  
  
Lex decided to cut some slack and let her brain get back to its regular power to start their meeting. Sage took the time and headed back to her room, even though there were plenty of other rooms for her to be at this time, it was one of the few places she remembered how to get to.  
  
When she got back, however, there was a surprise waiting for her. She stared blankly at the pile to suitcases in the center of the room, willing them to disappear so she could go back in time and make sense of the situation. How they'd gotten here wasn't quite as disturbing as *why* they were here.  
  
She dug into the smallest one and pulled out a green pouch. Two strings closed the top and she tugged them open, letting two rings drop into her hands. While she worked on fitting them on, she got out her laptop and powered it up. Being the owner of a super-cool technology company didn't hurt when it came to the latest gadgets, especially when your company was about to sign a merger with the most successful manufacturer of its class.  
  
When the white apple lit up on the back of the lid, she rose from her bags and tapped in a few commands. Seconds later, she found no trace of her bill at the hotel she'd been booked at, nor was there any record of her existence.  
  
Things were about to get ugly.  
  
* * *  
  
"LUTHOR!" The sound of a strong female voice echoed throughout the manor.  
  
Lionel sat up straighter in his chair expectantly, until Lex, who had risen from his desk to greet the infuriated woman, put a calming hand on his father's arm. "Relax, Dad. I think this one's for me."  
  
The doors burst open and Sage was breathing heavily, her face flushed with anger. "Who do you think you *are*?" She threw at him, while he got up from his chair lazily to cross the room to her.  
  
"May I ask what brought on this sudden case of amnesia?" His tone was very cool, but you would have to have been stupid not to hear the underlying amusement.  
  
Her green eyes narrowed and she placed her hands on her hips. "Honestly! You had one of your-your-*people* go over to the hotel I was staying in, pay my bill, and bring my bags back here. What gives you that right?"  
  
"I take it you're not pleased with my decision?"  
  
"*Pleased*?" Her voice was outraged. "No, of course I'm not **pleased**! You had no right to make a decision like that!"  
  
Lionel sat back in his chair, inwardly smiling. You didn't need your eyesight to see the sparks flying off these two. First at breakfast, and now this. Sage Bristow was not to be trifled with, and if this deal between them - that Lex had uncharacteristically revealed this morning - went through, she was going to keep his son on his toes. He tuned back into their conversation that they made no effort to hide.  
  
"I'm not one of your people that you can control, *Mr. Luthor.* Just because I stayed here last night doesn't mean I'm eternally in your debt. If I recall, I tried to reason with you - several times, in fact - about other sleeping quarters. You would have nothing of it."  
  
"And so it would be better for you to make an almost-hour commute here, everyday? You yourself told me that you were not a morning person. In fact, I believe you 'avoid them at all costs.' " He threw her own words back in her face.  
  
Two spots of color rose on her cheeks. "The point is," her voice lowered to where even Lionel had to strain to hear it, "you were wrong. You should have at least asked. Instead, you use all the wiles of a caveman, and assume that I will be staying here. You *assume* that I want my luggage and my bags at the Estate, and you *assume* that I will be more than happy to submit to your decision because - hey! - You're a Luthor and that automatically means that you're the one running the show."  
  
She watched for any sign of anger and was satisfied to see a flicker in the depths of his eyes. "But I'm *not* your puppet. And you're not running *this* show." With that, she gave him one long look and swept out of the dining room.  
  
"Well," Lionel said, rising unassisted from his chair, "That was quite a performance. She seems to call you on a lot of your shots, Lex. Be careful," he admonished, "that could be a weakness. You never know what she'll see coming next."  
  
Lex watched as his father walked almost confidently out of the room and cursed fiercely when he was gone. He had hoped to delay Sage's encounter with Lionel for another week or so. It certainly didn't help matters that she had all but goaded him into an argument he couldn't fight because of Lionel's presence.  
  
What surprised him more was that she had matched him, method for method. When he'd been cool, she'd worked hard to get her temper under control - not succeeding, of course, because he had the gift of getting under her skin - and when he'd used an earlier reference, she'd pulled one, just as cutting, on him.  
  
Lex was angry. He wanted to throw something. So he did.  
  
* * *  
  
It took him twenty minutes to get his breathing under control. Then another ten to convince himself that scotch at 10:30 in the morning was a bad idea. He settled for orange juice, and while not nearly as comforting, it managed to cool him off a little further.  
  
Like it or not, his father was right. Sage *did* call his shots. And she did it effortlessly. She'd seen how even though the over-night stay was magnanimous; it still held the "favor" that he could call in at a later time. Funny. Even when he tried to do something nice, his subconscious was plotting ways for repayment. Then this morning with his father.  
  
When people met with Lionel, they often never came back. Their contracts mysteriously disappeared and Lex found himself one step away from a securing the very same company. It made him a bit uneasy that his father's mere presence could unsettle a person so much that they essentially left the back door open, and more often than not, was the reason his father got the business first.  
  
But she hadn't backed down, not even at his surprising request. And when things had gotten sticky with the subject of her mother, she'd still muddled through. Even so, it was a lot to take. He supposed the luggage had been the last straw.  
  
Regardless, his father had taken an interest in her, and for some reason, he was worried about that. The only way to track what Lionel had planned for her, was to keep her close. 'Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer.' Time and overuse did not weaken the practicality of the adage. The only way to keep her close would be to think she had a chance at the land. Sage was currently furious with him. And so, he was faced with a choice. Let her blow off steam and possibly leave, forcing him to keep tabs on her from a distance, or try and smooth things over to the point where she would be willing to listen to reason.  
  
The irony of the situation did not fail to escape him.  
  
He found her sitting on the step inside the garage. She looked very small, almost hunched over in her attempt to contain herself as she stared at the fleet before her.  
  
"I came in here with the intention of smashing your cars." Sage looked up at him, feeling a glimmer of satisfaction at the barely noticeable once-over he issued to his vehicles. "But for me, that would be almost sacrilegious, so I just sat here and looked at them. For some reason, it calms me. Does that make me weird?"  
  
Lex chose to stare at the cars as he answered, "Not necessarily." He took a deep breath and moved to let his hand hover above a hunter-green BMW Z8. The car was technically still in production and wouldn't be released for another year. "When I offered to give you a room last night, I wasn't planning on using it against you should our negotiating get," he searched for the correct word, "*difficult*."  
  
"There's always strings," she quietly replied, tucking hair into the loose knot at the base of her neck.  
  
Lex got the impression she wasn't talking about their situation any longer and felt like he'd glimpsed into her past. Assuming she wanted to check out the possibility of a Bed and Breakfast in Smallville rather than stay at the mansion for the duration of her visit, he made a decision.  
  
"Come on, I'll drive you into town." When she just stood there, his eyebrows rose. "You know, you have to actually be *in* the car for this to work."  
  
Slowly, she made her way to her feet. "You'll have to excuse me if I don't have the best feelings about getting in a car with you right now," she said, as though weighing each word carefully, "seeing as we had a huge fight and you have a previous history that even *I* can't touch."  
  
"I also have a history of getting knocked on the back of the head, but that doesn't mean I'm going to whack you with a candelabra in your sleep."  
  
Even she had to smile at the imagery. But her remark had the desired effect of distracting him and so she found herself with his keys in her hands, following him as he walked to the silver Porsche.  
  
It was almost comical when he reached into his pocket for the keys and couldn't find them. Biting back a smile, she dangled them over the hood. "Looking for these?"  
  
"You want to drive?"  
  
Her eyes gleamed. "That," she came around his side of the car and got in the driver's seat, "is a stupid question."  
  
Sage waited until he was seated before starting the engine and allowing herself a moment of pleasure as the car purred. She put it into gear and drove out to the main road. "Okay. How do I get to town?"  
  
Lex cast her an amused glance. "You don't know how to get to town from here? Didn't you drive yesterday?"  
  
If they could have bottled the imperious look she gave him, it would have been worth millions. "I have a habit of getting lost," she revealed cautiously, bypassing his remarks. "And being that this isn't my car and you probably have work to get back to, you might be better off giving me directions."  
  
"I might," he smiled, tilting his head in agreement, and she breathed a sigh of relief, "But that would take all the fun out of it."  
  
* * *  
  
When they finally got to the Talon, Sage's bad mood had returned and Lex would have been annoyed as well, if not for her almost comical bad sense of direction. He'd never once met a woman with such a habit of getting lost. Especially one who was as successful as she was, and in such a lucrative business. To him, staying on course and getting to where you wanted to go was all about details. You piece them together and get to your destination. And while he had a feeling that the very last wrong turn at the end of Main Street had been on purpose, the other dozen or so were certainly not.  
  
She pulled the car to a stop and turned off the engine. He watched as she closed her eyes and breathed deeply for exactly seven seconds. Then she took a deep breath, opened her eyes and stared determinedly at the Talon.  
  
"Let's get some coffee."  
  
He slowly exited the car to watch her march inside and wait at the counter a few moments until she could be served. Once her drink was ready, she took it and inhaled the aroma before lifting it to her lips to drink.  
  
Lex ordered a dry cappuccino and stood next to her chair. "Feel better?" The waitress handed him his beverage and he sipped it slowly.  
  
"Much. Coffee does wonderful things to me."  
  
He smirked and casually glanced around at the small crowd. "You sound like another blonde I know."  
  
She gestured for him to sit even as she answered, "I'm not so sure that's a compliment."  
  
Lex knew she was referring to his playboy reputation and fought back a grin. "Not at all. Miss Sullivan is an extremely talented young lady. She writes for the High School newspaper and dreams of someday working at the Daily Planet."  
  
"Hey, I'll have you know I *did* work there over the summer!" Both adults turned to see the blonde in question holding a big mug of coffee as she walked over to their table. "Well, hello," she said to Sage, giving her the once-over none to subtly.  
  
"Hi," Sage replied, unable to keep from smiling at the girl's frank assessment. "Do I pass?"  
  
"What?-Oh. Sorry about that. I was trying to figure out where you're from; it's a game I play based on people's choice in clothing." When Sage gave her an interested look, she continued, "Take Lex, for example." Lex's eyebrows shot up. "He prefers a black suit with long jacket and button-down shirt, usually in shades of blue or purple. This screams Upper-Class Metropolis Business Man. Clark Kent, on the other hand," Chloe pointed him out at the counter, "is all Flannel and Denim. He's a Smallville Farm Boy all the way."  
  
Sage was nodding slowly in agreement. "I see. Now if I were to do the same for you," she took in the side-swept hair, funky skirt and fun top with beading, "I'd say ultra-chic/hippie Metropolis teen, visiting her county relatives for the weekend."  
  
Lex watched Chloe as she worked on processing the left-handed compliment. "I believe you have our resident reporter stumped."  
  
"Not true," Chloe retorted, looking at Sage with new admiration in her eyes. "Just. intrigued."  
  
"Ah. Well, Sage has the habit of doing that."  
  
Sage's eyes widened. "What are you talking about?"  
  
He saw Chloe's brows rise slowly at Sage's reaction to his offhand remark and decided the matter was closed. "Miss Sullivan, if you'll excuse us, Sage needs a place to stay while her car's being fixed and I'm sure she wants to get a head start on all those commuters."  
  
Sage shot daggers at him. Even his attempts at humor were slanted with sarcasm. He was a living, breathing, sarcastic machine. And she was starting to adjust to it.  
  
"Oh, then I would try asking one of the locals if they had extra room."  
  
Lex paused so abruptly on his was out the door, Sage nearly ran into him. "What?"  
  
The young blonde gave them her full-fledged grin. "Didn't you hear? There's a Teddy Bear Convention being run in the old Beanery. All the B&B's are full up. Looks like she might be spending another night at a certain creepy old castle."  
  
If she'd had a free hand, Sage would have used it scrub over her face in frustration. As it was, she held her coffee in one hand and was currently using the other to hold the door open while Lex recovered from a mild case of shock.  
  
Sighing, she muttered, "Come on, Luthor, you're giving the girl what she wants. Walk away, peel out in that gorgeous mold of steel and try to salvage your reputation before it gets shredded any further."  
  
He looked at her in surprise, almost as if he'd forgotten she was there- which was impossible, it was her situation they were in the middle of-and gave her another indecipherable look. "If I didn't know any better, I'd swear you were reading my mind."  
  
She threw her head back and laughed, following him out the door bearing both cups of coffee while he unlocked the car. "Let's just say I have a- gift. Really, *really* good instincts."  
  
"Some gift."  
  
She shrugged. "It comes in handy when I'm among rich boys with a little bit of a snob complex."  
  
He waited until they were well on the way back to the castle before he answered, "You know, men have been killed for less than that."  
  
"So kill me."  
  
With her hair flying wildly from the wind and eyes aglow as she tested his limits, he inwardly shook his head. 'Not yet.' He thought of teddy bears, his father, and Chloe Sullivan's reaction to seeing her. She certainly was shaking Smallville up.  
  
"There might just be some use for you."  
  
Sage lowered her sunglasses to peer at him. "I so *love* being useful."  
  
Lex let one side of his mouth curl up and gave his attention to the road. "I bet you do."  
  
* * * * *  
  
End the LONG chapter three.  
  
Brief note:  
  
I'm not really sure what's going on with the Beanery right now, but if it's still around, then the Teddies took it over. If it's been burned down (or wrecked in a tornado-hey, don't look at me like that, it could happen!) then use your imagination and pretend it's been rebuilt.  
  
REVIEW!!!  
  
I'm also looking for a beta for this story and "Gone," my Chlex story that should be up soon (if it's not by the time this chapter gets posted.) More information on the position is on my user page at ff.net, so just read there and drop me at line at serenity_sea@yahoo.com . THANKS! 


	4. Chapter 4

Never Is A Promise || Chapter 4  
  
|| Author's notes: I had originally begun this story long before the Season 2 finale, certainly way before "Perry." So, for the sake of the story, let's just assume that Perry's washed-up, has-been phase is over, and he's currently in Metropolis. Where? Well, you'll just have to read the story to find that out, won't you?  
  
* * *  
  
They reached the manor safely, without further incident. Lex occasionally let his gaze drift away from the road and glanced at his passenger, knowing her mind had to be going a million miles a minute, trying to work out Chloe's earlier statement.  
  
He pulled the car into the garage and turned to ask her if she wanted anything in particular for dinner that evening, but she was already gone. He saw the door to the house closing and wondered how she'd left the car so swiftly.  
  
Leaving the thought for another day, Lex left the garage and headed for his office.  
  
Unpredictable blondes with their insightful comments aside, he had work to do. And it wouldn't just disappear now that one had just appeared in his life.  
  
* * *  
  
She refused to think that the house--no, Mansion--was growing on her. It was big and dark, and. creepy. Well, so was Wayne Manor, for that matter. But at least it had Alfred. The Luthor estate most definitely did *not* have an Alfred.  
  
Although ever since her bossy move with the doorman, she hadn't been able to look Quincy in the eye. Lex, of course, had noticed. And smirked in that annoying way of his.  
  
But now, as she sat in a large wing-backed chair, her feet tucked under her, Sage decided that yes, it was in fact growing on her. It had some of the old world charm, and stateliness in every corner.  
  
"My son told me you were in here. I hope I'm not interrupting."  
  
She looked up slowly from her book. "Not at all. It's your house, too, you should be free to come and go as you please."  
  
He used his cane and felt around, settling into a chair across from her. If not for the purple glasses he refused to take off, she would have had a hard time believing that he was blind at all.  
  
"So. How do you find the country-folk of Smallville?"  
  
She thought of Chloe and realized that she was a very special girl. Her other encounters had left her with a completely different impression. "Innocent."  
  
Lionel laughed and it was a bit unsettling. "You are very much like her, you know."  
  
She stiffened. "I'm not sure I know what you mean."  
  
"Of course you do. I don't even need to close my eyes to pretend I'm speaking to her. It's as if her presence still lives on inside you."  
  
So it was going to come back to this. He wanted to talk about her mother again. Just what was his fascination with her, anyway? She said as much and he laughed again.  
  
"Sit down, Ms. Bristow." She realized somewhere during her tirade, she had stood up. And what was strange was that he'd known. Saying nothing, she ducked her head and sat back in the chair. "I will tell you what you want to know about your mother. And you won't leave this room until you know why you, in turn, fascinate me."  
  
* * *  
  
After seeing the blonde deal so successfully with Lex and drive away in his car, looking for all in the world as if she belonged there, Chloe resolved to find out everything she could about her. Because it wasn't every day that you saw Lex Luthor speechless and then laugh in the span of a day, much less five minutes' time.  
  
Not wanting to go home and face Lana just yet, she'd headed to her second home; The Torch. On her way there, she thought of their current situation.  
  
After Nell had announced her intentions to marry the decidedly smarmy guy Dean, Chloe had picked up on Lana's broadcast SOS and unexplainably offered her home up to the girl. Amazingly enough, it wasn't irritating her as much as she thought it would, though there were times--like these, when she had a story on her mind--that she couldn't go home to see Miss Cheerful right away.  
  
Though it would be fun to gossip with her later.  
  
Chloe hummed under her breath as she searched for information on the young woman. Now, she'd only given her first name: Sage. But she'd been with Lex. And there was a bit of an undercurrent between them. He wasn't the type to just show up one day with a woman no one had ever met before. She wondered if Clark knew about her.  
  
Chloe dove for her phone and dialed. He answered. "Hey, it's me. Do you know the woman that was with Lex this morning in the Talon?"  
  
::Oh, that's Sage.::  
  
She waited for him to elaborate. He didn't. She screamed inwardly. "Clark, Sage who? Does she have a last name? How did she get there? Why is she in Smallville? Does Lex like her?"  
  
::Whoa, calm down! I'll do the best I can, seeing as you just turned 'Reporter' on me. Sage's last name is Bristow. I think she drove here, but I'm not quite clear on why she's in Smallville. As for Lex. . . that I couldn't tell you.::  
  
"Why? Do you guys have some sort of secret pact?"  
  
::No. He just didn't tell me. And anyway, I've only met her once at the Manor last night. Other than that, I've got no idea who she is.::  
  
She thanked him for his help and disconnected. Then she went back to her computer and opened up Google.  
  
Sage Bristow. Why did Bristow sound so familiar? The search was over soon enough and she clicked on the first link at the top of the list.  
  
--Sage Aurelia Bristow  
  
President and CEO of BristowTechnologies--dedicated to taking technology to greater heights.  
  
Her eyes grew large as she continued reading. "Holy crap. She's *loaded*."  
  
Ms. Bristow is currently overseeing branches in Metropolis, Japan, and London, with smaller setups on the eastern coastline. She is well known for her quick wit and generous spirit, something that has become a bit of a BristowTech trademark. With profits from each year, Ms. Bristow and her team select a location to build a haven for the helpless. These havens are completely free of charge for its tenants and are in place for no other reason than to help people get back on their feet. This year's location has not yet been disclosed, but we are confidant that it will be as successful as its predecessors have been.  
  
Well, that at least explained why she was in Smallville. But not why she was staying with Lex.  
  
BristowTech is run mainly on its own profits but was started as an offshoot of WayneEnterprises.  
  
"Hmm."  
  
Chloe sensed a story was at hand. She went to a site she used often of press photos and did a search on Sage Bristow. Over 2000 results turned up. She added 'Wayne' into the search box.  
  
Two results.  
  
Both images showed Bruce Wayne and Sage. One was a shot of them dancing at some charity event. Her hair was slightly darker and she looked very young. The second was a shot of him standing next to her as she cut the red ribbon at the building opening.  
  
Now she could be reading *way* too much into this, but it looked like there was--or at least had been--something between them.  
  
As a rule, she tended to stay away from personal interviews. These days, she was pretty much bombarded with Wall of Weird material, but it had been a slow week, and if the woman had managed to snag Lex's attention and had some sort of dealings with the second most eligible bachelor in the country- -that alone made her interesting.  
  
She clicked on another link and got to work.  
  
* * *  
  
Somehow, she'd made it out of the chat with Lionel alive. It was naïve of her to think, but she just didn't get the evil vibe from him. Maybe it was because he was blind. Sage didn't know, but she almost always trusted her instincts and they were telling her he was just a sad old man with a fear of aging and losing power. Really, it was understandable when you thought about it, because the man had spent more than half his life building up to where he was now, and to abruptly lose it because he'd been in an accident that left him blind. . . frankly, she'd be pissed at everyone else who tried to coddle her, too.  
  
Lionel knew her mother before she'd married her father, and they had, apparently, been friends. Lillian had been involved with many charities before Lex was born. She'd met her mother on one of these events--Aurelia had been at a show to raise money for a charity--that just so happened to belong to the new Mrs. Luthor. She'd run out of the dressing room because her zipper hadn't been working, presented her back to Lillian and they'd been friends ever since.  
  
After the show, she was introduced to Lionel, and the three-some became a close knit-group. Two months later, she met Joseph Bristow; they'd dated, and were married. It was surprising to note that the Luthors were not present at the wedding, but were at her funeral.  
  
The telling of the story had tired Lionel out more than he cared to admit and Sage was ready for some time to absorb what she learned in peace. They'd left the room together and parted ways at the hallway, going to their respective rooms.  
  
Now, she was getting ready for bed and looking forward to taking a nice, long bath. But it was becoming obvious, as she frantically tore through her suitcases, that she'd forgotten one of the most essential things to ensuring a good night's sleep.  
  
"Dammit."  
  
* * *  
  
It figured that neither Quincy nor Louis was lurking the halls at the ripe hour of 8 PM. Which meant she would, once again, have to go to see Lex personally.  
  
She knocked on his door. Once again, the muffled, "Come in," granted her entrance.  
  
When he didn't look up from the papers he was reading, she realized she was going to have to walk over and insert herself into his line of vision. He still didn't look up.  
  
"Ahem." She cleared her throat.  
  
Lex finally looked up, smirking. "Sage. What can I do for you?"  
  
He'd known she was there the whole time. Jerk. "I don't have any pajamas."  
  
"What happened to the pajamas you wore last night?"  
  
She looked away and replied with as much dignity as possible, "I didn't wear any pajamas last night."  
  
Lex immediately slammed his eyes closed as unwanted images regarding the woman in front of him flew into his head. When he was certain it was safe, she was looking at him with a slightly embarrassed smile.  
  
"Hey. You asked."  
  
"I did," he conceded, as he walked over to dresser. He tossed her a pile of green silk. "That should work."  
  
Sage smiled. "Thanks, Lex."  
  
Once the door had closed he leaned his head against the bedpost and groaned. "Any time, Sage. Any time."  
  
* * *  
  
The room was pitch black when Sage woke out of a deep slumber for no apparent reason. Groaning, she rolled and looked at the clock. '4:04.' The muted blue light did nothing for her condition as she resigned herself to getting out of bed and getting a belated midnight snack. It was the Luthor Manor. Surely they had *something* to eat. They were human, right? She stopped in her tracks quite suddenly. '*Right*?'  
  
An intense craving for Oreos struck her and she slowly got up to open the door and pad down multiple hallways into the kitchen.  
  
That room, too, was dark, but dimmed lights were soon found and she was scavenging the myriads of cabinets within seconds of walking in the door. After about the fifth cabinet, she hit pay dirt. 'Blue Oreos'. Her favorite.  
  
She slid off the counter and grabbed a large glass, which she filled with milk from a walk-in refrigerator. Then, she grabbed the container of Oreos and popped two in her mouth, chewing contemplatively.  
  
What kind of man was Lex Luthor? Was letting her stay the night just a plan to throw her off track? Why *was* he letting her stay anyway? And when was her car going to be fixed?  
  
With a sigh, she finished her Oreos and downed her milk in one gulp. Now was not the time to be thinking of her temporary-landlord's brain. Blue Oreos or not, the man had a cruel streak in him. And while she wanted the deal to go through, and wanted a haven in Smallville, he was one person she did not want to piss off.  
  
"Probably too late," she muttered, and hopped off the counter, heading out of the kitchen for her room.  
  
When the door had closed quietly after her, a figure moved from behind a particularly tall set of cabinets.  
  
"I don't know about that," Lex drawled, placing the glass that she had left behind in the sink. He reached for an Oreo and leaned back against the counter. Tomorrow would be interesting. For the first time in a long time, he found himself looking forward to their business together.  
  
She intrigued him.  
  
* * * 


	5. Chapter 5

**Never Is A Promise Chapter 5**

** Author's notes**: And more of the plotline comes tumbling out. Perry White's history is a bit different than that we learned on the show… he hasn't come to Smallville, Clark didn't find him washed up somewhere, or any of that. Remember, this is set mid-season two. Which means that Clark and Lex are still friends, etc., etc., etc.

- - -

The next morning when Sage woke up, she was determined to get some answers and get some work done. Regardless of whether or not she had a real, working car (was there _ever_ going to be an update on that, anyway?) she was still responsible for running a business, and she hadn't so much as pulled her email in two days.

It was pathetic.

She made the best of her small wardrobe (yet something else that would have to be remedied by the end of the day; surely the shops in the Smallville had _something_ to wear) and absently applied some makeup before grabbing her coat and heading downstairs.

She nearly tripped over something that had been placed in front of her door, and automatically reached a hand out to grab the doorframe for balance. Once settled, she reached down and picked up the item.

Then she cursed, clenched the bag in her hand and strode angrily for the study.

- - -

When she'd driven up to the gate, security had already been given the go ahead and waved her directly on through, which led Chloe to believing that Lex had been expecting her.

She wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing, really.

It was only a matter of time before she was striding up the steps to the front entrance and heading for the study, where she presumed Lex would be.

In her haste to get to the interview, she barely noticed the other person coming from the other direction until it was too late.

"Whoa!"

Hands gripped her shoulders tightly and steadied her.

"I have really got to start waking _up_ before I start walking around. Second time this morning, you'd think I was incapable of walking in a straight line like a normal person."

Chloe looked up and stopped in her tracks. It was the woman from the Talon. "Um, hi."

Sage looked down at her. "Hello. Chloe, right?"

"Yeah." It was on the tip of her tongue to start firing off questions, when Sage cut in.

"I don't suppose you're looking for Lex, are you? He seems to have returned my contract," she held up a clear plastic baggie with liberally shredded paper in it, "And I need to remove his head from the rest of his body."

A smile spread over her face before she could stop it. "As editor of the Smallville Torch, I am actually on my way to conduct an interview."

"Lex carved out the time from his busy schedule?" Sage appeared genuinely interested, as this version of Lex didn't quite mesh with the one she had been around the past few days.

"More like he was nagged into it, but… you could say that, yeah."

She smiled. "A woman with determination. I like that."

"As the CEO and founder of BristowTech, I should hope so." At Sage's slightly surprised look, she added, "I did a little research last night, being a reporter and all. It sort of comes with the territory."

"Well. At least you're not entirely out of the loop here in Smallville."

"I used to live in Metropolis," Chloe scoffed. "News is my lifeline, second only to coffee."

"Amen to that."

"Now that we've all properly exchanged hellos, can the real meetings begin?" Lex called from where he was standing against his office doors.

"Sure. Do you want to tell me what this is about?" Sage tossed the bag at him.

His eyebrow rose. "Surely you recognize a dissolved contract when you see one?"

Sage ignored him and turned her attention back to Chloe. "So do you have any plans for your journalism?"

Chloe had to admire her. Sage had guts to go up against Lex. After all, he was like Smallville's very own mafia. And his temper had been very short ever since Lionel had moved in after the twisters two months ago.

"Well, I worked at the Daily Planet over summer, and I'd love to go back there, but I have to get a couple of really good articles," she slanted Lex a glance, "to submit first."

Sage looked thoughtful. "If you want, you give me some of your articles, and I'll give Perry a call, see what we can set up."

Chloe looked like she had been pole-axed. "Perry White? _The_ Perry White?"

All of the sudden, Sage looked slightly bashful. "Let's just say one of his staff came for an unscheduled interview and I sort of bit her head off. Perry was on the phone with me faster than I could blink… and now we're friends in a sick, twisted way."

The teen was speechless. Lex felt obligated to answer on her behalf. "I'm sure when Ms. Sullivan regains her speaking abilities, a thank you will be the first thing out of her mouth."

Chloe nodded dumbly and Lex strode into his office for the interview. Once she had followed, Sage was all alone in the hallway, getting hungry. She headed to the kitchen for a snack.

The kitchen was much more impressive now than it had been around three in the morning. She found a box of fresh fruit on the counter and plucked a granny smith apple from the bunch. It was, she found as she bit into it, the best apple she'd ever eaten. It beat out even the private orchard in Washington she'd been to by a mile. There was a sticker on the side of the box that read "Kent Farm Produce," followed by a phone number and an address.

And suddenly, she had the rest of the afternoon planned.

Maybe she didn't have a car, but Lex had quite a few. Surely he wouldn't mind he she… _borrowed_ one for the day, right?

- - -

So, she'd only taken two wrong turns before getting on Hickory Lane and riding the half-mile or so to the yellow farmhouse and red barn at the end. There were cows grazing in the fields and a windmill to her right – this was an honest to goodness real farm in the middle of Kansas.

She pulled Lex's black Spyder to a halt, and climbed out of the car, absently running her hand over the hood. It wasn't even warm to the touch and her first order of business when she got back to Metropolis would be to grab one of these in red. The man might have been stubborn as hell, but he certainly knew cars. It had taken her a half hour just to decide which one she wanted to "borrow."

The door was open and she knocked on the screen before calling out, "Hello? Is anybody home?"

"Lex!" Sage looked behind her and saw Clark Kent rapidly approaching. "Oh, I'm sorry! I saw Lex's car and I just thought—"

She grinned mischievously. "My car's broken. He's locked himself in the office with work so I borrowed the Spyder to come and ask what you do to your apples to make them so incredible?"

Clark was a good foot taller than her and smiled. "We grow everything here on the farm. Dad uses his own brand of fertilizer. If you think the apples are good, wait until you have a slice of Mom's pie." He headed for the door.

"Um—" She was taken aback at his easygoing and accepting attitude. "I guess I'll just follow you then," she mumbled, walking inside the Kent home with a rather informal invitation.

There were two golden pies on the counter, and she could see the steam rising slowly from the top. "Those just came out of the oven."

He nodded, intent on cutting two pieces. "Yeah. Don't tell Mom, but we're going to eat this one and leave the other one for dinner."

A cheery looking plate was placed on the table with the biggest slice of pie she'd ever seen. "I don't think I can eat that…"

"Sure you can. But you better hurry up," he leaned against the counter and started to shovel in his own piece.

Sage was still staring at the slice that appeared to be larger than life itself when she heard footsteps and a kind looking redheaded woman walked into the kitchen.

"Clark Kent, what have I told you about eating pie before dinner!"

Unfortunately, Clark's mouth was too full to answer. Sage cleared her throat, "I think he was just trying to be neighborly, Mrs. Kent."

Martha Kent looked at the table and her eyes landed on Sage. Then she looked at Clark and put her hands on her hips. "Well, Clark? Aren't you going to introduce your friend?"

He swallowed audibly. "Mom, this is Sage. She was in town yesterday and…" He looked at her helplessly.

Sage smiled. "I'm in Smallville because I'm looking to purchase some land from Lex. I'm sorry to intrude…"

Martha shook her head and smiled. "You're not. Clark's just using you so he can get the first taste of my apple pie, though." She tilted her head, remembering. "You were the one at the market yesterday, asking for directions."

"That would be me."

"How long are you in town for?"

"As long as Lex wants to be stubborn about the land, I guess. My company sets up a shelter once a year and Smallville was chosen this time."

The older woman looked impressed. "What exactly do you do, Ms…"

"It's Sage, please. And I work in technology."

"—Do you have technology that will keep my car from being stolen?" Came a voice from outside.

The three looked to see Lex coming up the steps and walking inside. "Hello Mrs. Kent. Clark."

Sage stood up. "What was I supposed to do, stay at the castle all day? I was bored, you were busy going over work, and I wanted to find out if this place wasn't just some front for a serious manufacturer."

"And the pie?" Lex questioned. "You knew there was pie, so you took the Spyder to get some?"

She rolled her eyes, and quietly began to work on the monster slice of apple pie that Clark had served up for her. Obviously, his mother was okay with him dishing out pie to perfect strangers and she wasn't going to turn down the opportunity for more food from this farm.

Martha chuckled quietly and cut another piece of pie for him. "Here you go, Lex."

"Thanks, Mrs. Kent." He turned to Sage, his fork poised over the pie, with a look as if to say, 'Well? Are you going to answer me?'

She threw her hands up in the air. "Forget it. You're impossible."

Clark bit his lip as she stormed out of the house and Martha gave them a worried look as she went after her.

"Lex?" he asked.

The man looked at him. "Oh, she'll get over it. I was planning on letting her drive the car back to the castle, at least."

- - -

He wasn't the least bit surprised to find the car missing when he'd finished off his pie and politely said goodbye to Martha and Clark. And, if he wanted to be completely honest, he couldn't blame Sage for wanting to meet the rest of the family and find out more about them. He had, after all, had the same instinctive reaction not more than two years ago.

Still, it was a bit unsettling to see his actions mirrored in another person whom he'd had no prior knowledge of until just a few days ago.

That thought in mind, he reached for his cell and dialed a familiar number. If he was going to be confused, fine. But damned if he wasn't going to have someone else be confused about it with him.

- - -

Hell if she was going back to the Estate now to face creepy Lionel or smirking Lex. Martha Kent had meant well when she'd talked about smoothing things over with Lex, but Martha Kent hadn't spent the last 72 infuriating hours with the man. She really didn't have a leg to stand on.

So Sage decided now would be a good time to get to know the quaint town of Smallville a little better, and there was no better place to state than the local library.

The Smallville Public Library was a far cry from the Library at Wayne Manor. So they hadn't cared much for the coffee cup in her hand. It was easy enough to finish off her take out latte from the Talon and allow the librarian that small victory. She was the outsider, after all. Still, Sage found the staff pleasant enough and was looking at books more quickly than she had anticipated.

Cursing herself for leaving her reading glasses -- which she absolutely despised wearing anyway -- back at the Estate in one of her suitcases, Sage drew the book closer to the lamp on the desk and squinted at the fine print at the bottom of the page.

---…Therefore, should a potential buyer wish to purchase land owned by the town, the buyer should have the appropriate funds at hand.

Well, duh. No one would go into a purchase without the cash to back it up.

---Also, the buyer is to have been living under Clause 211: 24A, which states that no buyer shall be a non-resident of Smallville.

Hmm. Apparently, Lionel's snapping up the cream corn fields from the Rosses did not go unnoticed. Her research, like Chloe's, was serving her well. If memory served, the current Mrs. Ross was actually a judge in the moderately sized courthouse across the street and it probably wasn't too much of a stretch to connect the dots in front of her.

---Hence, all buyers must abide by the semi-permanent residency clause to be considered by the town and the members of the board. In addition to these stipulations, should another buyer also be interested in the land, the two buyers will simultaneously submit contacts with proposed plans for development of the land. These developments will have to be agreed to by the board, and, depending on the value, possible community development, and considerable expense incurred, may take up time anywhere from six to eighteen months.

Well, she hadn't expected that it would be easy. Still, the timing was about what she had anticipated, give or take a few months.

---It is advised, once again, that all potential buyers therefore consider the risks and expenses involved in purchasing state land and weigh the decision carefully before continuing. If all these terms prove well and agreeable to the buyer, the first proposal may be submitted on the second Tuesday of the month, wherein all town meetings are held for public entrance.

Jeez. Gaining entrance into this close-knit town was going to be more of a trial by fire than winning them over with her wit and charm. Sage took a deep breath, exhaled slowly and counted to ten. When she was sure that most of her tension had been expelled, she reached for the real estate books. While the town legislature was all well and good, she needed to find out just how binding Lex's hold was on this land.

She intended to fight for it, and she certainly didn't expect the town to vote in her favor just because she wasn't a Luthor.

---Baker's Field: c. 1896. Previous owners include John Greene (1896-1942), Eli Small (1942-1989), and Lex Luthor (2000-2003). Sizable square feet totaling well over 12.5 acres, with a small lake and pass through river.

The meteor shower had happened in the year of '89, so that must have been when the town retained ownership.

---Ownership by Mr. Luthor is a temporary solution granted by the town council in the event that the land remains undeveloped for a minimum of two years. At the end of this period, the land will be considered up for sale once again; it is for the town to decide whether the land shall remain in Mr. Luthor's possession or be sold to another buyer.

Sage's jaw dropped. He lied. Lex had flat-out lied to her face about the field. He didn't own that land anymore than she did. Sure, the deed was probably still titled in his name, but if he wanted to keep it… he was going to have to fight for it.

With a whoop, Sage ignored the disapproving look on the librarian's face and grinned brightly. "I love this place!"

Metropolis be damned, because if the locations had been reversed, she would have had to go through mountains of paperwork, annoying levels of bureaucracy, and ended up paying some ridiculous sum of money. Now all she had to do was submit a few contracts every once in a while and make sure that her plans for development sounded better than Lex's.

This was going to be cake.

The first thing she was going to need to do was get noticed. And, as she neatly stacked the books up and treated the crotchety library to a genuine smile, she knew just the way to do that.

- - -

It wasn't until she got back to the Estate and parked the car that she acknowledged the nagging feeling at the back of her mind. There was no way things could be this easy. There had to be some sort of catch. Something she was forgetting. Something important.

Sage shrugged and handed her keys to Quincy, who took them with an only slightly admonishing look.

"C'mon, Quince!" She slugged him gently on the shoulder. "Doesn't the sun shine brighter now?"

He cast a look outside. "It appears to be nighttime, Ms. Bristow," he gravely informed her.

"But it's sunny somewhere," she reminded him, whistling some tune and heading for the stairs.

A day like this should be ended with a nice soak in the giant bathtub she'd discovered last night and some chocolate. Fortunately, she knew where to find both and had no difficultly shoving away the troublesome feelings from before.

She was halfway up the stairs when she heard a throat being cleared.

Sage turned around to see Lex standing patiently with a paper of some kind in his hand. She wasn't going to show him how much she knew about the field just yet, but that didn't keep her from wondering what he was holding.

"What's up?"

"I have the invoice for you car."

She nearly bounded down the stairs. "Hans fixed it?"

He didn't have the grace to look anything other than smug. "No." He handed her the paper. "Apparently, you were right. You need a new transmission... among other things."

"What!" Sage scanned the page quickly. "I don't need any of this! I was just at the dealership a few months ago for a tune-up."

"Aside from the transmission, the rest is merely advisable. However," he gave her a serious look, "Hans usually knows what he's doing. And he said that your car hadn't been looked at by anyone in at least a year."

"He's lying." She automatically refuted.

Lex merely raised an eyebrow. "He has nothing to gain by lying. Perhaps you need to go over your records and see just when your last tune-up was."

The silky tone had her mind snapping to alert and she filed away the double insult for what it was. Although… maybe this Hans guy had a point. She could have sworn that she'd been at the dealership several months ago, but between dodging phone calls from Bruce and gathering things together for the Smallville project… maybe she'd lost track of the time?

She sighed under her breath and gave the invoice closer consideration. "Wait. I don't understand."

Lex folded his arms. "Last time I checked, that was in English, which I had assumed from our previous discussions, you spoke fluently."

Sage rolled her eyes and ignored the dig. "Not the invoice itself. I'm talking about the bottom of the page. You know, usually, that's where the price for service and labor can be found?"

"I'm afraid I don't see the problem."

"There _is_ no total. How do I know how much I'm supposed to pay this guy and that he's not just taking me for a ride?"

"Hans has proven to be both excellent in his trade and more than fair regarding matters of finances. However, you won't find a total on that invoice."

If she lived to be a million, she would never understand why he insisted on antagonizing her and drawing things out this way. "And why is that?"

"It's already been taken care of," Lex calmly replied.

Sage closed her eyes, fisted the paper tightly in her hand and forced herself to remember the chocolate. Just a few more minutes, and then, she would have herself a nice big piece of choco--

"Do you have any _idea _how infuriating that is? I'm not a charity case. I can fully afford to pay Hans whatever he charges. Therefore, there is no need for you to keep paying my expenses."

"One might argue that there's no need for you to keep stealing my cars, but there I believe we'd have a differing of opinions."

Angry that he had a point and that she'd let him provoke her so easily, she took the invoice and folded in it half. Then she ripped it into as many pieces as possible and let them flutter to the ground.

"Surely you recognize a dissolved invoice?" Sage inquired lightly, turning on her heel and heading back upstairs. His quiet chuckling echoed in the halls and seemed to follow her all the way into her room, where she gave into the urge to slam the door.

Luthors be damned, but she was going to win that land and enjoy rubbing his face in it.

- - -

Chapter six is not far behind. Look for a few interesting conversations and see if you can find what Sage seems to have "forgotten" when it comes to the terms of buying Baker's Field.


End file.
